Reflections of a Madman
by Lost in Day Dreams
Summary: Ever wonder why it took so long for Barkis Bittern to arrive at the church in the end? Here's my theory why! Oneshot.


Hello! I've been a big fan of Corpse Bride ever since it came out and have been reading all of these wonderful fan fictions for quite some time now, so I decided to try my hand at writing one. It's just going to be a little one shot but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, unfortunately, but I wish I did! Curse you Tim Burton! ; )

Anyway, here we go!

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****The Everglot Mansion**

Barkis Bittern couldn't believe what was taking place about him. The supposed "dead" were running about in his wife's mansion and causing chaos. He was sure he was losing his mind. His fear overwhelmed him until finally he couldn't stand the sight anymore. He pushed his wife, Victoria, out in front of him for protection and scrambled under the table for cover. Except for the two skeleton children who intruded in on his shelter for a brief second before scrambling away, he was sure he was safe.

Barkis continued to crouch under the table until the ruckus about him died down. When he was sure things were silent, he cautiously peeked out from under the table and then proceeded to stand up and dust himself off, as if he wasn't just a second ago hiding under the table like a cowardly fool. He then turned to his bride, who was sitting calmly in a chair at his right.

"Wait, that's it," he said between gasps of air. "We're going to take whatever money we can and get out of here!"

"Money…what money," he heard Victoria ask, obviously trying to allude the subject (or at least obvious to Barkis anyway). Anger rose in him like a tidal wave.

"You're dowry! It's my right," he exclaimed.

"My parents don't have any money," Victoria replied calmly. "It's my marriage to you that will save them from the poorhouse."

"The poorhouse," Barkis exclaimed in shock and disbelief. _No, _his mind screamed, _it can't be true! Not after all you've been through!_

He grabbed Victoria roughly and pulled her out of her seat. He made a vise-like grip on both her arms and shook her, as if he could shake the truth out of her.

"You're lying! It isn't true! Tell me that you're lying," he demanded right in her face.

"Did things not go according to your plan, Lord Barkis," Victoria asked in a smug voice, much to Barkis' irritation. She then pushed him away, causing him to let go of her and stumble backwards a bit. He quickly regained his balance and stared at her with all the hate he could muster.

"Well perhaps in disappointment we are perfectly matched," she said before she turned around and stalked out of the mansion.

All the hatred and anger that had been suppressed for his current wife and her family came full blown to the surface. He let out something that sounded like a growl and angrily kicked over the chair Victoria was then seating in. He then took another seat to think about the events that had just taken place.

For the first time since he had started his scheme of marrying wealthy heiresses, taking their money, and then leaving nothing but their corpses behind, he had failed. He had picked the wrong woman.

_How could this happen,_ he questioned himself. _How could I have been so stupid?_ He had been so blind by the prospect of money and in such a rush that he hadn't taken the time to study his victim such as he had done with his first one so many years ago, Emily.

Barkis smiled a bit when his thoughts returned to Emily. Oh, how successful he had been with her! She had been so easy to manipulate. Sure, she had been beautiful and could have had any man she wanted, but she turned out to be just like any other beautiful woman: naïve. She shared the same naïve dream that all beautiful women share, that a handsome man would come, sweep them off their feet, and take them away from the drab life they lived. All he had to do was convince her that he was the man who could do all this and she was like putty in his hands. It turned out convincing Emily was easier than he thought, and she was head over heels in love with him in a matter of days.

He then managed to persuade her to take her family's money and leave them with the greatest of ease. All that was left was to meet her in a dark secluded area and do away with her, which also proved easier then he thought. He discovered later that no one realized Emily was missing until the next afternoon, when he and the gold were far gone. Barkis chuckled at the memory.

From then on, Barkis made a vow to change nothing of his plans. He decided to find women similar to Emily and her situation. As a result, Emily set the precedence for a string of murders by the hands of Barkis, all who suffered the exact same fate as her. All had provided him a hefty wealth.

_Until Victoria, _he thought angrily. He knew it was his own fault. He foolishly squandered all his savings on alcohol and other luxuries, which sent him into a rush for more money. He roamed the streets of the small town he was currently residing in and hastily chose Victoria because he assumed she was a wealthy heiress Victor's parents were marrying Victor off too. Without so much as a second though, he decided to move in with Victoria's parents to study the Everglot family and their wealth. Barkis' initial plans were to spend a little more time observing them before easing Victor out of the picture, but Victor's sudden disappearance provided the perfect opportunity to weasel his way into the family. Barkis tossed his plans out the window and foolishly decided that the Everglots were rich without observing them any longer.

Unfortunately, he had made a grave mistake. _The Everglots are no more rich than I am, _he thought, causing him to laugh at the irony. He couldn't believe what a fool he had been. There was nothing left to do but take whatever he could from the Everglot mansion and leave. He slowly got up from his seat at the table and began to drift around the house in search of goods.

But as he was collecting a few odds and ends, Barkis' rage only seemed to increase. He began to feel like the sparseness of the mansion, which to him was what should have been an obvious sign of the Everglot's destitution, was mocking him. He swore he could hear the empty rooms laughing at him.

_You should have known, _a voice said over and over again in his head, _you should have known._

"No," Barkis suddenly exclaimed, his voice booming throughout the empty house.

It couldn't be his fault; there was no way it could be. He had never made a mistake so grand in all his life; there was no way he could have made one now.

_You were tricked, _the voice said. _They tricked you._

Yes, that must have been it. The Everglots tricked him into thinking they were wealthy. They made him believe they were rich. And there was no way he was going to let them get away with it.

"I will not be made the fool," Barkis vowed. "I will have my revenge!"

_But how, _he asked himself. Suddenly, it came to him.

_Victoria._

Victoria was still his wife. He owned her. And even if he couldn't get any money out of her, she could be used for other reasons. He could take her away from her family and friends, rip her away from the people who care for her most.

He could sell her services to gain money for himself. After all, a young, beautiful woman such as Victoria could bring in a tidy sum if she were, say, a waitress in a bar, or a maid.

He could also demand a small ransom for her safe return, just enough for the Everglots to scrounge up somewhere and for him to get to his next destination. Then, when the ransom was in his hands, he could do away with her, just as he did with the others, and have the satisfaction of knowing that he got the revenge on the Everglots he so desired.

Barkis cackled evilly in satisfaction. His plans were perfect. Now all there was left to do was find Victoria and steal her away. He abandoned his scrounging around the mansion and headed out the door to fulfill his quest.

Barkis stepped outside just in time to see Pastor Galswell running past him and away from the church. Coming to the conclusion that the minister's flee had something to do with the dead, Barkis headed for the church, figuring that where the dead were, Victoria was mostly likely to be.

As he came closer and closer to the church, Barkis' rage intensified. He had been tricked, cheated, and made a fool of, but he swore that as long as he lived he would never leave empty-handed.

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THE END

Well, that's it! I know it wasn't very long or elaborate…or good, but I still hope you enjoyed reading it!

Oh! And if I offended any of you Emily fans I didn't mean to. I really don't think she was naïve; I was just trying to write in the point of view of Barkis. I really like Emily!

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read and reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


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